Yorktown High principal uncertified since 2008

By
Sonny Long
April 3, 2013 at 5:04 p.m.Updated April 3, 2013 at 11:04 p.m.

Yorktown High School principal Trey Alexander has not had a valid principal's certification for more than four years, almost his entire tenure as principal at the school.

According to State Board for Educator Certification records, Alexander's one-year probationary principal's certification expired in September 2008, the same year he became principal at the high school. In June 2011, Alexander was also named the school district's athletic director.

Alexander, whose contract runs through 2014, said in an email correspondence, "I am in the process of getting it (the principal's certification) reactivated and begin on May 6."

He did not explain why the certificate expired and why it has not been renewed.

Alexander holds valid certifications through 2018 as a classroom teacher in math for grades 4-8, secondary business administration for grades 6-12, and physical education for grades 6-12. Alexander also has a lifetime certification for teaching secondary basic business for grades 6-12.

During the March 25 Yorktown school board meeting, after an hourlong executive session, Trustee Nelda Sertuche made a motion to not extend Alexander's contract as principal, but the motion was defeated 3-2.

Sertuche and Keary Perez voted in favor of the motion, and Boyd Weise, Mark Niemeier and Jerry Steves voted against it. Board members Mark Weischwill and H.R. Krause abstained.

Sertuche said board policy prevents her from answering questions from the media and referred inquiries to superintendent Deborah Kneese, who acts as the district's public information officer.

Kneese, who is retiring at the end of the current school year after receiving a contract extension through 2016, said she could not discuss the issue because it was a personnel matter.

"A public school employee must have the appropriate certification for his or her assignment, according to Texas Administrative Code Chapter 231," said Janice Lopez, director of educator certification, standards and fingerprinting with the Texas Education Agency.

"A school district's failure to comply with certification requirements and Texas Education Code may be the basis for an accreditation review of the school district," Lopez said. "A school district is supposed to follow the assignment rules and those rules are that a principal should have the proper certification."

According to the Texas Education Code, Sec. 11.202., "The board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a policy for the selection of a campus principal that includes qualifications required for that position."

Yorktown school district personnel policy states that principals will be certified.